Similarities and Differences between Danish and American Physicians' Religious Characteristics and Clinical Communication: Two Cross-Sectional Surveys
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Similarities and Differences between Danish and American Physicians' Religious Characteristics and Clinical Communication : Two Cross-Sectional Surveys. / van Randwijk, Christian B.; Opsahl, Tobias; Hvidt, Elisabeth Assing; Stripp, Tobias Kvist; Bjerrum, Lars; Herrstedt, Jørn; Søndergaard, Jens; Hvidt, Niels Christian.
In: Religions, Vol. 12, No. 2, 116, 2021.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Similarities and Differences between Danish and American Physicians' Religious Characteristics and Clinical Communication
T2 - Two Cross-Sectional Surveys
AU - van Randwijk, Christian B.
AU - Opsahl, Tobias
AU - Hvidt, Elisabeth Assing
AU - Stripp, Tobias Kvist
AU - Bjerrum, Lars
AU - Herrstedt, Jørn
AU - Søndergaard, Jens
AU - Hvidt, Niels Christian
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Many physicians remain reticent to initiate or partake in discussions about their patients' religious and spiritual needs during the clinical encounter. Reasons for this may be insufficient time, capacity, education or training but may also be a product of variance in physicians' own religious or spiritual characteristics. The aim of this paper was to compare American and Danish physicians' religious characteristics, and to explore and compare American and Danish physicians' attitudes towards, and practices of, integrating religiosity and spirituality in the clinical encounter. We included data from two cross-sectional surveys: an American survey conducted in 2002 (n = 2000) and a Danish survey conducted in 2012 (n = 1485) to test four hypotheses. American physicians were significantly more religious, they more frequently inquired about religious or spiritual issues in the clinical encounter and they found it more appropriate to discuss religious or spiritual issues if the patients brought it up when compared to Danish physicians. A weak to moderate positive correlation between level of religiosity and frequency of inquiring about religious and spiritual issues were found in both populations. The findings are discussed in relation to the clinical importance of ensuring that health care practices stay patient centered. The findings may especially be relevant to consider in increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse contexts.
AB - Many physicians remain reticent to initiate or partake in discussions about their patients' religious and spiritual needs during the clinical encounter. Reasons for this may be insufficient time, capacity, education or training but may also be a product of variance in physicians' own religious or spiritual characteristics. The aim of this paper was to compare American and Danish physicians' religious characteristics, and to explore and compare American and Danish physicians' attitudes towards, and practices of, integrating religiosity and spirituality in the clinical encounter. We included data from two cross-sectional surveys: an American survey conducted in 2002 (n = 2000) and a Danish survey conducted in 2012 (n = 1485) to test four hypotheses. American physicians were significantly more religious, they more frequently inquired about religious or spiritual issues in the clinical encounter and they found it more appropriate to discuss religious or spiritual issues if the patients brought it up when compared to Danish physicians. A weak to moderate positive correlation between level of religiosity and frequency of inquiring about religious and spiritual issues were found in both populations. The findings are discussed in relation to the clinical importance of ensuring that health care practices stay patient centered. The findings may especially be relevant to consider in increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse contexts.
KW - medical ethics
KW - rehabilitation medicine
KW - palliative care
KW - public health
KW - spirituality
KW - communication
U2 - 10.3390/rel12020116
DO - 10.3390/rel12020116
M3 - Journal article
VL - 12
JO - Religions
JF - Religions
SN - 2077-1444
IS - 2
M1 - 116
ER -
ID: 258136042